Following a powerful demi-god isn't exactly as easy as it sounds. Iggy didn't travel like normal people, and John even thought that when measuring him against his teammates who flew and ran faster than the speed of sound. You see, Iggy prefered to travel in short spurts of running before disappearing in a column of smoke that floated over city rooftops and twisted in and out of allies. In random increments, Iggy would reform to jog across the ledge of a ten story building or hanging from a clothesline somewhere to glance over his shoulder and confirm John was still following. Then, he would smirk just a bit before transforming into the bright colored gas once more and floating away.
They travelled several miles, John flying overhead to keep track of the mischievous being below, before Iggy finally emerged from the tendrils of smoke once more perched dangerously on the edge of a windowsill. His eyes were lit up with mischief as he peeked through the cloudy and dusty glass, and with a giggle, he slid up the barrier and slithered inside the old, brick building. It's exterior was chipped and worn like a century old warehouse, which he suspected it was, and most of the windows were cracked or duct taped shut. Graffiti colored the bottom of the building in hues of bright fuchsia, royal blue, and canary yellow while colorful flags and banners hung out of many of the top windows. The windows around Iggy's apartment had messages scrawled in the dust, most slightly crude and suggestive. John rolled his eyes as he lowered himself through the opening into the apartment.
"Welcome to home sweet home!" Iggy exclaimed as John landed on a dusty welcome mat.
The hero had to admit he was pleasantly surprised by the apartment before him. It's space felt significantly larger with the two story ceiling and rafters which had long lines of white Christmas lights looped and twisted around them. He suspected he knew which resident he had to thank for climbing up there against all good sense. It wasn't hard to imagine her hanging precariously above the room just to get some decent lighting installed. As he glanced around, he noticed the living space and communal kitchen were large and open, with a number of walled off rooms separated by curtain covered windows and large metal doors lining the edges. The apartment appeared big enough for six or even eight people, although no one but them seemed to be home.
"It's not much," Iggy said as he landed cross legged on the kitchen counter. He reached behind him and plucked a single red apple from a bowl, "But it's enough for us all to get by. However, if you don't want to totally blow your cover, I would change into some civilian clothes."
John nodded as he allowed the power of his suit to dissolve into his ring, leaving behind a plain pair of jeans and button up shirt. As he ate, Iggy nodded in approval.
Finally, the demi-god spoke again, "She should be home soon."
"Who else lives here?" John asked curiously.
Iggy shrugged, "Just me, Summer, plus a few nymphs and centaurs who work at the gym too. Our kind like to stick together."
"I see." John murmured as he considered this information.
At that moment, several sets of foot could be heard approaching in the hallway, and the clattering of keys hitting one another rang out. John leaned back against the patched up couch while Iggy continued to sit casually on the counter. The people in the hall chatted happily even as the door opened, and the group's laughter echoed off the walls and through the apartments.
First, a tall boy with fiery red hair rushed in and plopped down on a chair immediately. His chuckles were deep and heartfelt, his face was colored bright red with joy. Though youthful, he carried himself with a sense of fearlessness and self assurance. Shayera followed carrying several grocery bags which she promptly dumped on the kitchen floor before following into the living room, practically falling in another chair with laughter. A third person, a tall girl with midnight blue eyes and hair pulled back into a tight, severe braid, leaned against the doorway smiling. Her eyes went straight to Iggy and John, losing some of their light, though her smile remained glued in place. Shayera's gaze followed, as did the boy's.
The woman in the doorway spoke first, however, "Iggy, is this your new boy toy?"
"Oh, come on, Rachel! I thought today was the day we weren't going to be bitchy!" The boy shouted playfully.
Rachel rolled her eyes, but watched John cautiously. Her gaze evaluated him carefully, the same way people did when they were preparing to spar. As her eyes wandered over his normal clothes, they seemed to settle on his hand, as if looking for a ring. Quickly, he tucked his hands into his pockets and glanced at Iggy, who seemed more annoyed than anything else.
"Buzz off, Rachel!" He threw back, "You're just mad because you can't get any."
She raised her brows, "Really? Remember that barista you were checking out over on Olive Street?"
"Dammit," Iggy muttered, "Is nothing sacred?"
"Rachel, aren't you going to come in today?" Summer asked, "Just because you and Iggy don't get along doesn't mean you can't hang out here. I mean, we tolerate all of his hook ups, so I think he owes us. Trust me, some of his choices have been...questionable."
"Hey!" Iggy looked offended, "Still better than flannel Frank."
"Thanks, but I got places to be." The woman said while glaring at Iggy. The demi-god smirked as the woman stood up and continued, "I'll see you guys later tonight."
"Bye!" Summer and the boy called as Rachel swung the door shut with a bang.
Immediately, the red haired man turned to John and grinned widely, showing his slightly too large teeth that had a gap between two in the front. With great enthusiasm, he waved his hand and said, "Hi, the name's Galen. And you are?"
"John-" The Lantern began.
"The cop," Summer finished, "Or the fed, or whatever he is. Something goodie two shoes."
"Ah." Galen raised his eyebrows, "That is interesting."
Iggy chuckled quietly and shook his head just a bit. He rubbed slow, soothing circles against his forehead with his hand, like he had a headache, and answered, "Galen, do you think we could talk about that thing we're planning?"
"Of course!" He said excitedly as he bounced out of the chair.
Summer looked horrified, "What thing?"
"A party of sorts!" Galen laughed.
"Not a birthday party!" Summer moaned sadly.
"You'll have to wait and see!"
"Ugh!" She shouted after them. Galen strode across the room to follow Iggy into his quarters. The demi-god made eye contact with John and then looked pointeded at Shayera with a wiggle of his brows. Of course the stupid spirit was making innuendos.
The door shut loudly behind the two of them, and John turned to look at Shayera once more. She was watching him intently, her chin balanced on her fist as she leaned against the arm of the second hand chair. Even with the dark hair, blue eyes, and freckles, she was every bit as beautiful as the day he met her. It made his chest ache with loneliness to know she was so close, yet a million miles away. How was he going to get her memories back? How did Hades get them anyway? He was supposed to be locked away in the depths of the Underworld somewhere….
"You still think I'm someone else, huh?" She said knowingly.
He shrugged, "You always could read me like a book."
She rolled her eyes and then stood up slowly. With a deep breath, she said firmly, "I'm not her. I am and always have been Summer Holbrooks from the South side of Chicago."
"I sincerely doubt that." He followed her as she walked into the kitchen.
As she began putting the groceries away, he watched her for any sign of confusion or doubt, but she genuinely seemed to believe the stories woven into her mind. He began to take items out of the bags, one at a time, and hand them to her so she could put them away. Her appreciative smile took the breath from his chest, but also made him rethink his approach. Maybe he couldn't change her mind, but he could at least understand her.
"So Summer Holbrooks from the South side of Chicago, what do you do for a living?"
"Well," She took a deep breath, "Right now I'm working as a personal trainer at Rafael's Gym, and I'm thinking about going back to school for my Physical Therapy degree. I used to work at a gym back home, and they had a volunteer program for trainers to work with returning veterans. I really liked it."
"Any family?"
"Nope." She answered quickly, "Just me."
"Many friends back in Chicago?"
She paused before taking the next jar. Instead of answering his question, she asked in a mocking voice, "What is this, 20 questions?"
"Maybe it is." He answered with a grin.
"Okay. Ask better questions." She said with more than an ounce of sass.
"Fine." He replied, "Why did you leave Chicago?"
"Pass." She said without looking up.
"Seriously?" He gawked, "That's the easiest question."
"I had a fiance and some unusual hobbies. Things ended badly and I wanted a change of scenery."
"That's…vague."
"That." She looked at him seriously, "Is what creepy cop strangers get for answers. Just because you think that we're friends doesn't mean we actually are friends."
A thought came to him. "Well, why don't you give me a chance to get to know you then."
"What do you mean?" She paused her work and looked up at him. Her arm was still reached out, stretching to put a can of soup on the top shelf of a cupboard. The bottom of her shirt had rode up just enough that John caught a glance of her tan stomach, which was strange as Shayera never tanned, but it seemed that Summer did. Once again, he was in awe of the situation, but he tried to play out the conversation casually.
"I mean," He inhaled sharply, "You could have dinner with me."
"Like a date?" She asked with a frown.
"You could call it that." He said with a wink.
Just like he knew she would, she laughed and said sarcastically, "That wasn't cheesy."
They were quiet for a moment as she considered and he waited nervously. He could see the doubt on her face, but after a moment, her expression shifted into one of seriousness. She sat down the soup, reached out her arm for something else to put away, and spoke, "Nothing fancy. Jeans and a nice shirt kind of deal - no heels, no expensive bottles of wine, and no snobby waiters who correct how you pronounce the food on the menu."
"Fine by me." He said with a grin.
At that moment, the door opened and Galen popped his head out. He looked a little shaken as he asked Shayera, "Summer, do you still have my passport in your safe?"
"Yeah, do you need it?" She asked already halfway to her door.
"Yeah."
She disappeared into her room at the same time Iggy stalked out of his. In just a few steps, he rushed across the room to stand beside John and leaned in much too close for comfort. His face as slightly flushed, and the Lantern could see a few drops of sweat forming across his face. When the demi-god finally spoke, it came out as a frantic, hurried whisper, "We have a problem."
John's heart dropped, "What?"
"You're about to get a call on your comm." His eyes glowed powerfully as he spoke.
Right on cue, the small comm link in John's ear beeped impatiently. Frowning in concern, John put his finger to his ear and answered simply, "Yeah, I'm here."
"John, it's Diana." Wonder Woman's voice came through the device, strained with worry. He hadn't heard her sound like this since...well, since the invasion, "Listen, something has come up with the Gods. I'm going to be out of town for a few days. Can you come back to the Watchtower?"
Iggy's eyes darkened as he confirmed, "Hades is out."
"Hades left the Underworld…" John whispered in astonishment.
"What? John, how did you know that?" Diana's high pitched voice shouted through the comm.
John looked at Iggy in understanding and then whispered quietly to Diana, "Listen, I can't explain now, but you need to get to Miami…."